Assembly Election Results 2017: BJP retains Gujarat, wins Himachal; PM Modi says Monday mandate shows India ready for reform agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the "impressive victories" in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh showed there was strong support for the "politics of good governance and development".

"Election results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh indicate a strong support for politics of good governance and development. I salute the hardworking BJP karyakartas (workers) in these states for their hard work which has led to these impressive victories," Modi tweeted.

"I bow to the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for their affection and trust in BJP. I assure them that we will leave no stone unturned in furthering the development journey of these states and serve the people tirelessly," he added.

While addressing BJP workers in party headquarters in Delhi, PM Modi said: "Support for BJP shows nation is ready for reform agenda and every citizen wants India transformed. The aspirations of our middle class are rising. We have to fulfill them."

"The results in Himachal Pradesh Elections show that if you don't do development and are embroiled in wrong acts, people will not accept you. People are fed up of misgovernance and misdeeds by the incumbent Government," he also said.

He also said: "Nation has shown its faith in politics of performance."

Mentioning party's historical victory in his home state, PM Modi said that BJP defeated 22 years of anti-incumbency in Gujarat.

Outside Parliament, a beaming Modi flashed a V sign to celebrate the victory in his home state. Senior BJP leaders taunted Rahul Gandhi and said the result proved that the people had embraced the Gujarat model of development.

BJP retains Gujarat

The BJP was on course to retain power in Gujarat on Monday, but with a reduced margin as it fought off a resurgent Congress, which increased its tally in the 182-member state Assembly.

The saffron outfit has won 99 seats, according to the Election Commission website.

The Congress, which had won 61 seats in the outgoing Assembly, is set to improve its tally this time, as it clinched 80 seats.

The NCP emerged victorious on one seat, while the Bhartiya Tribal Party won two seats. An independent also won, while two others were leading.

The BJP, which has been in power in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state uninterruptedly since 1998, had won 155 seats in the last Assembly polls in 2012.

To form a government in the state, a party or a coalition needs at least 92 seats.

The BJP has so far got 49.1 per cent of total votes poll, a slight increase from 48 per cent it had in 2012.

The Congress had last time got 39 per cent vote share, which has increased to 41.4 per cent in 2017, according to figures available so far.

Also Read: Gujarat Election Results 2017: As it happened

The BJP put up a stellar performance in urban centres, while the Congress got upper hand in rural areas.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani retained the Rajkot West seat by defeating Congress' Indranil Rajyaguru by over 54,000 votes.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was also ahead of Congress candidate Jivabhai Patel in Mehsana.

Among other prominent winners were BJP leader and Fisheries Minister Babubhai Bokhiriya, who defeated senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia in Porbandar.

BJP's Suresh Patel held the prestigious Maninagar seat, the former constituency of Modi, by defeating Congress candidate Shweta Brahmbhatt by 75,199 votes.

The Congress won Mahudha seat in Kheda district where its nominee Indrajitsinh Parmar defeated BJP's Bharatsinh Parmar by 13,601 votes.

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani won from Vadgam while contesting as an independent with the Congress' support. He defeated BJP's Vijay Chakravarti by over 19,000 votes.

Congress nominee and Leader of Opposition Mohansinh Rathwa defeated his closest rival Jasubhai Rathwa of the BJP by a narrow margin of 1,093 votes in Chhota Udepur.

However, another senior Congress leader Siddharth Patel lost to BJP's Shailesh Mehta in Dabhoi.

Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) chief Chhotu Vasava won by an impressive margin of 48,948 votes over Ravjibhai Vasava of the BJP from the tribal constituency of Jhagadia. BTP is a Congress ally. Vasava has formed the party after breaking away from the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U).

However, BJP heavyweight Dilip Sanghani lost to Congress candidate J V Kakadiya in Dhari, Amreli district.

The elections for the 182-seat Assembly were held on December 9 and 14, after an acrimonious campaign, which was dominated by a face-off between Prime Minister Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

In the 2012 elections, the BJP had won 115 seats while the Congress emerged victorious in 61 seats.

Also Read: Assembly Election results LIVE Updates: I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for trusting BJP, says PM Modi

The BJP has won every election since 1995 in the home state of Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. However, it was out of power for a couple of years due to party infighting and rebellion by Shankersinh Vaghela, who broke away from the BJP and formed Rashtriya Janata Party government in 1996.

The saffron party came back to power in 1998, and has ruled uninterrupted since then.

BJP ousts Congress in Himachal

The BJP on Monday came power in Himachal Pradesh, winning 44 seats in hard fought Assembly elections, although its two top leaders were worsted in the contest.

Needing 35 seats to control the 68-member House, the Bharatiya Janata Party was on course to win 44 the Congress had bagged 21 seats. An Independent and the CPI-M got one seat each.

Also Read: Himachal Election Results: BJP secures overwhelming victory, party to now decide on CM candidate

 

The Congress accepted defeat in Himachal Pradesh, which went to the polls on November 9. Among its prominent winners were outgoing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural), who entered the Assembly for the first time.

State BJP chief Satpal Satti was humiliated in Una by Satpal Singh Razda of Congress while the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal lost in Sujanpur.

Dhumal's confidants Ravinder Ravi, Gulab Singh and Randhir Sharma, all outgoing legislators, also lost.

Congress cabinet ministers Sudhir Sharma, Thakur Singh and Prakash Chaudhary faced defeat.

Chaudhary lost in Balh in Mandi district to BJP's Inder Singh Gandhi. BJP's Ravindra Dhiman defeated Congress' outgoing legislator Yadvinder Goma in Jaisinghpur and Kishori Lal of the BJP overcame Bansi Lal of the Congress from Anni.

BJP's Suresh Bhardwaj retained his Shimla seat, defeating Harbhajan Bhajji of the Congress.

Anil Sharma, who resigned from the government and the ruling Congress and joined the BJP just before the polls along with his father and former Telecom Minister Sukh Ram, retained his Mandi seat.

Independent Hoshiar Singh dealt a humiliating defeat to heavyweights Ravinder Ravi (BJP) and Viplove Thakur (Congress) in Dehra.

Outgoing legislator Anirudh Singh of the Congress retained his Kasumpti seat by defeating BJP's Vijay Jyoti Sain. Both belong to the royal families.

CPI-M's Rakesh Singha defeated both the BJP and Congress in Theog.

BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt said: "We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly shows we are going to form the government in the state."

A total of 337 candidates contested the election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling.

The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP's return to power with an easy majority.

The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats.

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